Work through the levels. Reveal the Spangram only when you’re truly ready.
Today’s clue: “Big talk”
A gentle direction — no specifics.
Closer — the category is coming into focus.
Near-direct — only read if you’re stuck.
Direction only.
Getting closer.
Near-direct.
5 theme words — lengths in random order
Spaces not counted in total
All theme words — shuffled
These words fit the theme on the surface, but aren’t part of today’s solution. Knowing them ahead of time can save you minutes of searching.
A very common synonym for enormous, but it's not one of the themed terms today.
Another basic size descriptor, and it appears plausible as an answer, but it's too general.
A powerful adjective for something gigantic, likely to be tried by solvers looking for size words.
One of the most obvious words for something very large, but the theme uses less common nouns.
a textbook decoy
The difficulty stems from the spangram being a phrase rather than a single word, which can initially throw off a solver expecting one large term. Once GIANT is spotted, the theme of enormity becomes clear, and MAMMOTH and BEHEMOTH soon follow, but the positioning of LEVIATHAN in the grid requires careful scanning. The spangram SUPERSIZEIT snaps the whole set together with its playful fast-food reference, revealing why the clue was 'Big talk'—a pun on speaking about large things and literally 'supersizing' an order. What makes this set interesting is the mix of mythological, biblical, and prehistoric creatures all unified by a modern commercial catchphrase.
The clue 'Big talk' plays on two meanings: if you're having a 'big talk,' you're speaking boastfully, but here the puzzle takes it literally—the words themselves are about bigness. The spangram SUPERSIZEIT is the ultimate 'big talk' from a fast-food menu, giving the whole theme a cheeky, commercial twist. So the puzzle isn't about grand speeches; it's about naming the grandest things, with a side of fries.
These specific words appear together because they are all iconic nouns representing something enormous—spanning myth (GIANT, COLOSSUS), scripture (BEHEMOTH, LEVIATHAN), and prehistory (MAMMOTH). The editor's clever choice pairs these ancient heavyweights with the modern catchphrase SUPERSIZEIT, creating a playful contrast between timeless monstrosities and a disposable marketing slogan. This assemblage avoids common adjectives and elevates the theme into a cultural scavenger hunt.
